Israel draws American visitors for somewhat different reasons than do other places. It’s not about the fabulous scenery (though it has that), or the interesting people (and it certainly has that), or the chance to relax on sunny beaches (yes, it has those, too). People primarily come to Israel for reasons of significant historical, spiritual or ethnic interest, which make their trips as much pilgrimages as vacations. All personality types emphasize these qualities when they talk about Israel although authentics are less likely to choose Israel than centrics or venturers. Though American visitors focus on the historical and spiritual when planning the trip to Israel, they come away knowing more about its diversity.

On the coast, visitors relish sun-drenched Mediterranean beaches adjacent to chic health spas. There is more of that at Eilat in the south, plus a string of spas next to the Dead Sea.

Visitors relate how much fun they had in the modern, “with-it” city of Tel Aviv with its shops and nightlife. And those who visit a kibbutz come away with a new view of communal agricultural life — not to mention a real appreciation for the Israelis’ ability to make the desert bloom. Nevertheless, the prime touristic reasons for the visit are the most rewarding: Visitors are simply awed by the ancient wonders and monuments they see in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside.

There is little difference among the personality types as to where people go and what they do in Israel. Centrics perhaps emphasize the historical sites and educational qualities of their trip a bit more than venturers do, but the difference is negligible. Like their counterparts, authentics feel a great sense of spiritual identification and renewal when they tour the ancient sites, both historical and Biblical. They find the country beautiful, the weather agreeable and the amenities acceptable. Venturers are more likely to focus on and admire the modern nation as well as the historical and, predictably, they more often seek some active recreation, especially water sports in Tiberius on the Sea of Galilee or at Eilat on the Red Sea.

Join an archaeological dig, or just observe one. Check with www.israel-mfa.gov.il/archdigs for sites seeking volunteers.

Overnight in a kibbutz. One choice is the Kibbutz Ein Gedi which is near the Dead Sea and provides guests full access to its spa. Contact the Kibbutz Hotels Chain found at www.kibbutz.co.il.

Run in the Tiberias marathon in January or the Tel Aviv half-marathon in March.

Go scuba diving at Eilat to see colorful fish and the coral reefs. From Eilat, take a desert hike in the Red Canyon, or go camel trekking in the Sinai Desert.

From Tiberias, ride an inner tube or take a kayak down the Jordan River. Parasail on the Sea of Galilee. Hike or ride horseback into the Golan Heights.

Get a new slant on Israel’s capital: Walk atop the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City.

The story of Masada has been told so often that it has assumed myth status. Take a cable car to the top and see this mountain fortress near the Dead Sea where a group of Jewish zealots held off the Romans before committing suicide, preferring death to slavery. You also can see the remains of the ramp that the Romans built in order to capture the Jews.

Go to Bethlehem, circumstances permitting.

Of course, you will take in the major sights in Jerusalem, but don’t miss the guided tour of Kotel Tunnel, which is a pathway along the full extent of the Western Wall, the part that is not visible. From this, it becomes clearer what a gargantuan project King Herod undertook close to 2,100 years ago before the Second Temple was built.

At Dolphin Reef in Eilat, watch blue-nosed dolphins at feeding time and then swim with them.

Take a day trip to the Qumran caves, the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Sample pages of the scrolls are on display in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Decamp for a day or two in a health spa on the Dead Sea. Take a mud bath. Float in the salt water which is said to be great for calming the nerves.

You don’t have to be Jewish to tuck a written prayer into the Western Wall.

Walk through Old Jaffa, the section of the ancient port city of Jaffa (up to 4,000 years old) that has been renovated and revitalized in recent times. Now a part of Tel Aviv, it offers shops, art museums and nightlife.

Visit in June and catch the annual International Ethnic Food Fair.

Visit the Baha’i Gardens, which brighten a narrow strip on a steep hillside in Haifa. The gardens, with formal displays at 19 terrace levels, lead to and surround the burial site of the prophet of the Baha’i religion. Entry is free but you must visit in with a group. A hundred gardeners tend these lawns and flowerbeds daily, all of them Baha’i volunteers.

The Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem is a wonderful place. Aside from its exhibits designed to tell the history of the city, the building is a restored citadel and is, itself, the site of an archaeological dig.

Have a meal at Cardo Culinaria, a Roman-themed restaurant in Jerusalem’s Old City. Wear a toga.

For more information, consult the Israel Government Tourist Office at www.goisrael.com

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